Recall Warning: ‘Foreign Material’ Found in Ground Beef

(TargetDailyNews.com) – Customers of a Publix grocery store in Georgia should check any ground beef they’ve purchased recently as the chain has issued a recall over a batch that might have “foreign material” inside.

Unhelpfully, Publix is not telling the public exactly what “foreign material” that might be, opting instead to advise buyers to return the product for a refund. On its website, Publix said the affected product was a batch of “Market Ground Beef” sold on May 29th at its Alpharetta, Georgia store at The Village at Flynn Crossing. The company says affected packages bear a sell-by date marked May 30th, 2024. No other Publix locations or products are affected.

The chain’s director of communications, Maria Brous, said all the beef from that batch has been pulled from store shelves “as part of our commitment to food safety.”

Food recalls are not uncommon, and while some may pose a serious danger to consumers, most do not rise to the level of severe danger. Some recalls happen due to what are known as “undeclared allergens.” These are types of foods that some consumers are allergic to, such as dairy, gluten, or soy. A pizza company recently issued a nationwide recall over some of its products that contained soy ingredients that were not disclosed on the label. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) includes a variety of items in its classification of “foreign materials,” including metal, wood, lead shot, glass, and more.

The USDA asks consumers to contact the agency if they believe any meat or poultry has been contaminated by “foreign materials”. The Meat and Poultry Hotline can be reached at 888-674-6854. Shoppers can also call the store to alert them of the potential problem.

Ground meat is a frequent subject of recalls as the process of making it gives so many opportunities for contamination. In May, a large amount of ground beef was recalled over fears that it may have been contaminated with E. coli bacteria. Cargill Meat Solutions recalled six different types of ground beef after it found that what’s called a “segregated product” was accidentally mixed into more than 16,000 pounds of the meat.

coli is a common and ubiquitous bacterium, but certain strains, when ingested through food, can cause symptoms from mild gastric distress to serious dehydration and diarrhea. While most sufferers recover quickly, it may be deadly for those who have weakened immune systems or who are very elderly.